Allen County-Scottsville senior and Western Kentucky University commit Barton Rutledge will play for a state golf championship next week in Bowling Green. Rutledge earned the opportunity after a 3-under par round of 69 on Tuesday (September 30) in the opening round of the state golf championships in Calvert City. Rutledge placed second in the one-day event---four strokes off the seven-under par round (65) of Landon Hunt from McCracken County.
Rutledge tackled the par-72 course with steady play most of the day. On the front nine, Rutledge birdied the 371-yard, par-4 first, the 505-yard, par-5 fourth, the 356-yard, par-four eighth and the 517-yard, par- five ninth hole to record a 32 and move to four-under. After pars on the 10th and 11th holes, Rutledge recorded back-to-back bogeys on holes 12 and 13. After a par on the 14th, Rutledge birdied the par-3, 172-yard 15th. A third bogey followed before Rutledge parred the par-5, 571-yard 17th and birdied the par-4, 423-yard 18th to carry the lead to the clubhouse with Hunt still on the course. Hunt birdied four of his last 10 holes to pull away from the field.
The next stop for Rutledge is the final two rounds of the Leachman Buick-GMC-Cadillac Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) state tournament. The tournament will be October 10-11 at the Bowling Green Country Club. Last year, Rutledge narrowly missed winning a state title---finishing as a state runner-up alongside Cam Roberts of Pikeville.
Rutledge, Roberts, and Charlie Spiller from Lexington Catholic completed their 36-holes, two-day tournament with identical one-under par scores of 143. The trio returned to the 18th hole to start a playoff. The three parred the hole not once, but twice to remain tied. On the third hole---the par 4 10th---Rutledge and Roberts bogeyed. Spiller parred the hole to take first place.
This year marks the third consecutive year Rutledge will play for a championship and the fourth in the state finals. In 2022, Rutledge reached the state tournament but failed to advance to the final day. In 2023, Rutledge placed 11th. Last year’s runner-up finish was the best finish in the state golf tournament in the 50-year history of Allen County-Scottsville golf. The result surpassed the performance of Owen Stamper at the 2019 state tournament---when the now professional finished in third place. AC-S’s Dustin Stovall also tied for third in the 2004 state tournament.
Prior to consolidation of Allen County and Scottsville, both schools produced a state champion golfer. Steve Lyles won the championship in 1960 for Scottsville. Stacy Russell won the 1968 title representing Allen County.
Tee times for next week’s state finals will be announced later in the week by the KHSAA.